All Chapters of Uncle's Good Girl : Chapter 41 - Chapter 48

48 Chapters

41

TRENTONI watched Bronwyn pace the bedroom, her phone clutched in her hand as she rehearsed what she'd say to the Boston board. She'd been at it for twenty minutes, her energy restless and excited."You're going to do great," I said from where I sat on the bed."What if they ask about my availability? The wedding is in three months and I just opened the Pinehaven office.""Then you tell them the truth. That you're capable of managing multiple priorities." I stood and caught her mid-pace. "Bronwyn, they wouldn't offer you VP if they didn't think you could handle it.""I know, I just—" She stopped. "What if taking this means I'm never here? What if we end up being one of those couples who only sees each other on weekends?""Then we'll be a couple who makes weekends count." I pulled her close. "I'm not going to lie and say it'll be easy. But we'll figure it out.""You really want me to take this?" She settled into me, and nestled her head on my chest"I really do." I cupped her face. "Yo

42

TRENTONAfter we hung up I stood at the Pinehaven Crossing site watching crews start the preliminary work. This project would define Pinehaven's growth for the next decade. My legacy in concrete and steel.But the real legacy was waiting for me three hours away on a train.That evening I met Bronwyn at the station with flowers. It was probably too romantic for a train platform but I didn't care."VP Larkin," I said, handing her the bouquet."Not official yet." But she was grinning. "I have to finish a few transition projects first.""Still counts." I kissed her. "I have something to show you.""Now?""Right now."I drove us out of town toward the property I'd purchased last year. Five acres of rolling hills overlooking Pinehaven valley. The land where I'd been planning to build our house."Where are we going?" she asked."You'll see."When I pulled onto the property she looked confused. "Trenton, this is just empty land.""For now." I got out and grabbed the folder from my back seat.

43

BRONWYNSomething was wrong with Trenton.I couldn't put my finger on it exactly but over the past week he'd been distant. He wasn't cold, he was just distracted, like his mind was somewhere else even when we were together."I have a meeting this afternoon," he'd say, then disappear for hours.When I asked about work he'd give vague answers about contracts and consultations. There was nothing specific and nothing I could verify. And it bothered me so much, because some few days ago he was so loving and touchy, but now, it was like he couldn't stand me.Old insecurities crept in. Was he having second thoughts about the wedding? About me taking the VP role and being gone so much? About our age gap?I tried to push the thoughts away but they festered.On Thursday I started my Boston commute for work. The VP transition was going smoothly but being away from Trenton for three days made the distance between us feel even wider.We talked on the phone each night but the conversations felt hol

44

Bronwyn That weekend we existed in limbo, waiting for Monday's test results. We tried to stay busy with wedding planning and work but the uncertainty hung over everything.Sunday night neither of us could sleep. We lay in bed staring at the ceiling."What if the results are bad?" I asked. He rolled to face me. "I'm not giving up on us without a fight.""Good. Because neither am I."Monday morning dragged by at an agonizing pace. I'd taken the day off work to be with him for the doctor's appointment. We sat in Dr. Patterson's waiting room holding hands and saying nothing.Finally they called us back.Dr. Patterson was in his fifties with kind eyes and a calm demeanor. He gestured for us to sit."Trenton, Ms. Larkin, thanks for coming in." He pulled up results on his computer. "I have the final test results.""And?" Trenton's hand tightened on mine."The good news is it's not acute. You're not having a heart attack or facing imminent danger." He turned the screen toward us. "The conce

45

TRENTONI was brushing my teeth in the sink, early in the morning, when a text pinged in from my publicist. Running my hands through my hair, I wondered if I had any public speech to give or any media appearances. There was nothing of that sort on my schedule I checked this morning.I picked up the phone and clicked on the text. [Take a look at this] and then a link to a post on a popular blog on Instagram.When I saw the heading, my tooth brush fell out of my mouth. I can't believe that when she complained about this, I waved it off. EXCLUSIVE: Gold Digger's Guide to Landing a Rich Husband - Ex-Boyfriend Reveals Truth About Bronwyn Larkin's Calculated Pursuit of CEO Trenton RhiggsBelow the headline was a photo of Huxley looking earnest and wounded, the perfect victim.I dropped the phone and crushed my palms into fists, thinking of the million ways i’d kill Huxley when I finally set my eyes on him. And gosh…if Bronwyn saw this news, she'd definitely hyper ventilate.I hated whenev

46

TRENTONI found the remote and switched on the TV in Bronwyn's office. A entertainment news show was running an interview with a woman I didn't recognize."That's Huxley's ex-girlfriend from college," Bronwyn said. "Sarah something."Sarah was telling the interviewer about Huxley's pattern of becoming obsessed with women who rejected him, how he'd stalked her for months after their breakup, how he'd tried to ruin her reputation when she started dating someone else."He has a history of this," Sarah said. "When he doesn't get what he wants, he destroys. That's what he's doing to Bronwyn Larkin now."The interviewer pressed for details. Sarah provided receipts, old restraining orders, and texts from Huxley threatening to "ruin" Sarah's new relationship. I opened my mouth genuinely confounded that she even had emails where he'd tried to convince her employer she was unstable."This man is dangerous," Sarah concluded. "And I'm speaking out because I don't want him to do to another woman w

47

BRONWYNI stared at the pregnancy test in my hand, the two pink lines mocking me from the white plastic stick.Pregnant. I was pregnant.My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped it into the sink. I'd taken three tests over the past two days, each one showing the same impossible result.This wasn't supposed to happen. We used protection. We were careful.Except for that night at the cabin. And maybe once at the construction site. And—My stomach rolled and I barely made it to the toilet before throwing up.Morning sickness. Of course.When I could stand again I washed my face and stared at myself in the mirror. Twenty five years old, about to marry a man twenty two years older, VP of a marketing firm, and now pregnant.We'd never seriously discussed children. Sure, we'd mentioned it in passing when looking at house plans, talked about "maybe someday" in abstract terms. But we hadn't planned this and we hadn't decided we were ready.He was forty seven years old, about to become a father

48

BRONWYN The words hung in the air between us. He went completely still, his expression unreadable."How long have you known?" His voice was carefully neutral."Two days. I was going to tell you tonight." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I know we didn't plan this. I know the timing is terrible. I know you probably think—""I'm going to be a father." He said it slowly, like testing the words."I know you're forty seven and this wasn't part of our plan and if you're upset I completely understand—""Bronwyn." He crossed the room and pulled me into his arms. "Breathe."I buried my face in his chest, shaking. "I'm sorry.""Sorry?" He pulled back to look at me. "Why are you sorry?""Because this wasn't planned. Because you didn't sign up for this. Because—"He kissed me hard, cutting off the spiral of apologies. When he pulled back his eyes were wet."We're having a baby?" His voice cracked slightly."Yes."The biggest smile I'd ever seen spread across his face. "We're having a baby.""Yo

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